Driving through small-town main streets, you can see the facades of once-thriving small businesses, grocery stores and newspapers that have shuttered. While rural towns once served as the ideal image of tight-knit communities, many have hollowed out since the 1980s farm crisis.
No too long ago, these towns were self-sufficient, and could keep their local residents employed in the community. Local jobs and involvement with clubs and organizations also supported a strong sense of local belonging and pride. But that changed as jobs moved out of town and people spent more time traveling outside their community.
“In the 1990s, [when] rural communities began to lose that economic base, this is when you began to see a lot of younger people — and just people in general — leaving rural communities,” Rural sociologist David Peters said. “It has actually eroded this collective identity and this collective action that used to be found in rural communities, where they essentially were able to have dense networks, dense connections.”
With fewer local jobs, more people began commuting out of town for work. Peterson said this has hurt the social fabric — the sense of being close-knit, the sense of strong hometown pride — in addition to the economic impacts.
“If you're commuting a half hour or 45 minutes one way to your job, by the time you get back and take care of family business and anything else you have to do, you really don't have a lot of extra time to be involved in the community,” he said.
More people commuting for work led to less economic activity in small towns, emptying storefronts. Consequently, rural residents now commute outside their town to go to the grocery store, a doctor's appointment and, increasingly, public schooling, if their district has consolidated with another.
“Your small town used to be kind of the center of everything you needed. You were able to get basically everything you needed to live your life. And in some small communities, it's exactly the opposite — that really the only thing you get from your small community these days is the house where you live, and maybe the electric and the water,” Peters said. “The school is in a different community. Your job is in a different community. The healthcare clinic's in a different community.”
Now that those resources have moved out of town, Peters has found that people don't have the time or energy to put into supporting local groups.
In a poll of Iowa small towns, surveyors asked participants if they belonged to at least one club or organization — think the Lions Clubs or the Rotary Club. In 2004 almost 70% of people were involved in those groups. By 2025, that number dropped to 54%.
Peters said involvement in cultural and entertainment clubs has dropped as well, with now only about 26% of Iowans identifying themselves as being involved in one of those activities vs. about 50% in 2004. And another surprising decline? Church membership. About 50% of Iowans today identify themselves as active members of a church, which is down from about 65% in 2004.
Your small town used to be kind of the center of everything you needed. You were able to get basically everything you needed to live your life. And in some small communities, it's exactly the opposite — really the only thing you get from your small community these days is the house where you live, and maybe the electric and the water.
Parallel to these declines are changes in how people prefer to socialize. The drivers? Age and digital accessibility. Baby boomers were large drivers of sustained community engagement, but they’re aging. Meanwhile, social norms have shifted with the wide availability of the internet.
“They might say, ‘I might participate for this particular project, but that I'm going to step away for maybe a year and come back,’” said Peters. “And people participate and socialize online now — outside of your community.”
But, amongst the changes, there are some optimistic signs.
Peters uncovered some surprising ways for how people are connecting. He found that a majority of rural Iowans socialize at a gas station at least once a week. While that's helpful in that it allows for people to connect with each other, it doesn’t have the same impact in the community as volunteering together through a club or organizing to work on issues facing the local community.
Hear more on Unsettled: How communities lost their stickiness
“It's one thing to socialize, and that's good for individuals' mental health and well-being," Peterson said. "But the other function that these clubs and organizations serve is they help address real problems. In these rural communities, people are willing to volunteer locally and give their money locally to improve quality of life, and that's what we're at risk of losing."
There are also shared characteristics among the small towns that have successful involvement in local clubs and volunteer organizations. The first is an open-mindedness to newcomers, including young people and people of color. The second is leaders that are open-minded and foster a sense of inclusiveness and entrepreneurial spirit. Third? There are more local jobs.
"In these small towns that are thriving in terms of their clubs and organizations, 45% of these people work within a nine-minute commute of their home," Peterson said.
Job proximity and open-mindedness across residents and leaders are clearly important to keep a small town community thriving. It all ties together in the communities that allow residents to affect change through local clubs and organizations; that’s what residents report keeps them in their small town.
"They enjoy being involved. That is why they stay in their rural communities. That's why they love living in rural Iowa. They have the chance to get involved and make things happen in their town."
To hear this conversation listen to Unsettled, hosted by Charity Nebbe. Samantha McIntosh produced this episode.
